In Defense of Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall
Artists of all domains have eagerly anticipated the completion of the Arts Quarter, a multi-phased construction project by the College of William and Mary. Join Rebecca Altman ‘25 as she describes the numerous benefits that the Arts Quarter will bring to musicians as well as the current infrastructure issues that students face.
RYAN GOODMAN // FLAT HAT MAGAZINE
Every Monday and Wednesday from 4:00 to 5:50 p.m., the College of William & Mary Wind Ensemble rehearses in Room 207 of Ewell Hall. At this point in my college career, I know that room like the back of my hand. Consequently, I am keenly aware that the space we have is too small, especially for the percussion section. With an assortment of mallet instruments, five timpani, randomly scattered stands, and other fragile items, moving around is quite difficult. As a result, we play in an incredibly cramped environment, often blocking one another from seeing the conductor.
Traveling to George Mason University last February was remarkable, particularly their musical infrastructure. Their rehearsal space had acoustics that allowed us to hear all 50 musicians infinitely better, not to mention the flexibility the percussionists had in terms of setting up our instruments. And that was only their rehearsal venue — we didn’t get to see their performance hall, but I’m sure it far surpassed the capabilities of Commonwealth Auditorium.
As a student and musician at the College, it is embarrassing to have such a lack of quality rehearsal and performance spaces. And we can thank the prolonged construction of the fabled Arts Quarter for not meeting the fundamental requests of musicians.
For context, Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall was the predominant performance venue for artistic organizations across campus. An older version of the building burned down in 1953 and was replaced with what is now Ewell Hall. The College constructed PBK in the mid-1950s as the first building for New Campus. It housed the largest auditorium on campus as well as the third 1976 presidential debate. But age finally caught up to PBK, and demolition began in 2019. This paved the way for a three-phased Arts Quarter: a new music building; improved spaces for the theater, speech, and dance department; and an expansion of Andrews Hall for art and art history.
RYAN GOODMAN // FLAT HAT MAGAZINE
However, the journey to completion has not been easy. Issues with funding from the Virginia General Assembly in 2019, coupled with the switching of contractors to account for said funds, delayed the demolition of the aging PBK, and, thus, the construction of the Arts Quarter. Statements from the College originally indicated that the completion dates for PBK and the music building were scheduled for 2021. Now, the College’s website indicates November 2022 while their Instagram indicates that the buildings will be open for academic use in the fall of 2023. Progress — and good progress at that — has certainly been made, but there is a great lag between the plan and the implementation.
Believe me, I hate seeing cranes and construction pits as much as the next person. Anyone involved with the aforementioned departments or student-led dance and theater troupes would echo these construction complaints. But the venues that will take the pit’s place provide me with much hope. For years, students have been told on walking tours of campus that they will get the opportunity to perform in a premiere venue. Soon, tour guides will finally be able to say that with honesty.
Furthermore, as someone who rehearses in Ewell Hall four times a week at a minimum, it’s not a fun place. For starters, what many perceive as the entrance to the building — the doors facing the Sunken Garden — is actually the doors to office spaces; the predominant entrance is off to the side, which is utterly confusing. Inside, some rooms are sealed off because of asbestos, and the entire building has an aura of griminess. I once walked out of a first-floor practice room to see a five-foot-long trail of ants gliding up the wall. There also aren’t any truly sound-proofed practice rooms, which can create awkward and distracting experiences. When practicing a delicate choral piece for my a cappella group, someone began to cover “Just Like Heaven” by The Cure on a neighboring drum kit. While it’s an excellent song, it has absolutely no relation to a slow Spanish song about undying love.
RYAN GOODMAN // FLAT HAT MAGAZINE
People have also claimed that Ewell is haunted — I have no proof to confirm or deny this claim, but I would not be entirely surprised if this theory were true.
This is all to say that consistently working in spaces not designed to give musicians the full idea of what their work sounds like can be dispiriting. Asking our family and friends to go to Kaplan Arena and watch the Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, and all three choirs during Family Weekend genuinely made me upset. Gustav Holst and Eric Whitacre would be disappointed by our lack of meaningful structures to rehearse and perform their works.
I personally knew that I was going to participate in music organizations when I attended the College, no matter the buildings I would endure, but not everyone is similarly wired. Having better spaces for musicians to explore their creativity could encourage prospective students to gravitate towards Williamsburg and thus create a more passionate and engaged music scene among the student body. There are few things I love more than going on orchestral music deep-dives with my roommate or impromptu run-throughs of repertoire with my a cappella group in the middle of a function. To be able to share that with each other and to pass that enthusiasm through the College community is invaluable. I would hate to see our physical spaces deflate this energy, either now or in the future.
Those who hadn’t known my feelings on the construction before have posed — unprompted — the question of why we need a new music building. Construction distorts the picturesque image of our colonial campus, and this particular project has been ongoing for the entirety of our college careers. So, why should we even care? The best answer I can provide is this: the prolonged artistic creativity of the College’s student body depends on it.
RYAN GOODMAN // FLAT HAT MAGAZINE